I just got back from a meeting of Organizing For America on health care reform. It was one of hundreds being held around the country today. The one I attended was small, and hosted by a lovely lady who not only opened her home, but generously served us coffee and four different kinds of pie. I met 9 people I had never seen before, including two RNs, a psychologist, a lawyer, and a neurosurgeon. Two people were in wheel chairs and three had chronic debilitating illnesses. And like the six blind men and the elephant, depending on what our personal experience had been, we all had differing views on what is wrong with health care and what needs to be done.
The neurosurgeon, it turned out, was very much against any single payer system, and advocated a system of affordable insurance plans supplemented by private health savings accounts. Three of our group were very much in support of a single payer system, and said they would not support anything else. The lawyer said the root of high costs in healthcare stems from the high costs of educating MDs, and that we need to start with that issue and work upwards. A young woman whose smile fairly lit the entire room told us heart-breaking stories of how the needs of developmentally disabled young persons are not being met, and how Medicare and Medicaid are leaving them fewer options for care. She said all this from her $30,000 motorized chair (which came with a $10,000 co-pay) without the slightest hint of self-pity in her voice.
We talked, we laughed, we argued (well, disagreed) and opined for two hours. At the end, I came away with way too much to think about, although think about it I will. Seeing the healthcare system through the eyes of others has definitely broadened my perspective. But most of all, it has deepened my conviction that this is the most important issue facing Americans today.
Others might say we’ve got to fix the economy first, but I disagree. We need to get this health care thing right, and we need to do it now. In 2007, well over half the personal bankruptcies were due to medical bills and/or illnesses that resulted in people losing their jobs – and the majority of these people had health insurance.
More people than ever are without insurance now, thanks to the fact that health insurance in the US is largely tied to employment. That means there are fewer companies and employers contributing to insurance plans – but no reduction in the number of people requiring medical care. Providing care to people without coverage puts a huge burden on those who still have jobs – because those costs have to be passed on to those who are still contributing – companies and workers. As benefit costs rise, companies hire fewer people, or stop hiring, or even lay people off, an the spiral of fewer payers but no reduction in the number who need care gets wider.
I’ve read a lot about health care and insurance problems in America, but I now know I’ve not read nearly enough. Today I committed myself to becoming a truly informed advocate for sensible health care reform. I know that even as smart as the people on Obama’s team are, they can’t come up with a perfect plan. That’s where we come in. I urge you to add your voice (and your brain) to the Obama health care initiative. They need our bright ideas. One of us may be the Albert Einstein of health care reform and not know it. (hey, it could happen). Here’s the linkie. Now get involved!